Long Beach residents talk about upcoming school bond issue

Some residents say they believe it's time for a new high school in Long Beach. (Photo source: WLOX)

LONG BEACH, MS (WLOX) -

On Aug. 2, Long Beach residents will go to the polls to vote on a bond issue. If passed, the bond would pave the way for the city to build a new high school where the current facility has stood since 1958.

Last month, Long Beach Mayor George Bass and other city officials toured the high school mentioning the old age of the campus and the fact that there are more than 40 different entrances to the school, which many say makes the current set up a high-security risk.

Some residents say they believe it's time for a new high school in Long Beach.

"I've been here for five years, and I know everything the school needs,” said Jessica Shepens, who is a sushi chef at On A Roll in Long Beach. “It's really old, and the kids need something new. There's a lot of stuff that Long Beach does need, and the school needs it to branch out more. It's time. It's time for the kids.”

Down the street at the Harbor View Cafe, Becke Collins said all those entrances need to be addressed, and a new school could take care of that.

"Certainly, we need to harden our schools, so they won't be such easy targets,” Collins said. “I'm all for controlling entrances to and out of the school to protect the students, so that's the primary thing we need to look at. I would like for things to be different, but they're not. So, we have to live in the real world."

For Collins and others, that world should include a new high school in Long Beach, assuming the bond issue passes.

"Everyone has their own opinion, and I guess we'll see things shake out at the vote,” Collins added.